An exciting email passed my way this week, news that the catalog of I.R.S. Records -- the label known for bringing R.E.M., the Go-Go's, Oingo Boingo and a ton more '80s and '90s acts to the masses -- will be available digitally for the first time. Says the press release:

Beginning February 10 and continuing until March 17, more than 100 albums and tracks from the celebrated vault of I.R.S. Records will make their digital release debuts. In an extensive, six-week online catalog campaign by Capitol/EMI, I.R.S. classics by The Fleshtones, Wall of Voodoo, Concrete Blonde, Oingo Boingo, The dB's, General Public, Stewart Copeland, Robbie Krieger, Tom Verlaine, and many others will be available for the first time for DRM-free download from all major digital service providers. Four new Best Of The I.R.S. Years digital collections will also be released, for The dB's, Over The Rhine, dada, and Dread Zeppelin.

Anyone who scours eBay knows that some of releases on the following schedule draw big bucks -- the Wall of Voodoo, Jane Wiedlin and Bears stuff especially. Special mention also goes to the presence of the dB's last album, The Sound of Music, which is the only one of the band's albums not yet reissued on CD. Check out the I.R.S. Corner for a bunch of random history about bands on the label -- and click below to see what's going to be available.

WEEK TWO: February 17
ANIMAL LOGIC - ANIMAL LOGIC II
CATERWAUL - PIN AND WEB
CATERWAUL - PORTENT HUE
CONCRETE BLONDE - CONCRETE BLONDE
CONCRETE BLONDE - FREE
STEWART COPELAND - THE EQUALIZER
DADA - AMERICAN HIGHWAY FLOWER
DADA - PUZZLE
GENERAL PUBLIC - HAND TO MOUTH
General Public - General Public
General Public - General Public (12" Version)
General Public - Hot You're Cool
General Public - Never You Done That
General Public - Tenderness
Lords Of The New Church - Apocalypso
Lords Of The New Church - Eat Your Heart Out
Lords Of The New Church - Holy War
Lords Of The New Church - Li'l Boys Play With Dolls
Lords Of The New Church - Livin On Livin
Lords Of The New Church - Portobello
Lords Of The New Church - Question Of Temperature
Wazmo Nariz - Checking Out The Check Out Girl
Oingo Boingo - Ain't This The Life
Oingo Boingo - Bachelor Party
Oingo Boingo - I'm So Bad
Oingo Boingo - Only A Lad
Oingo Boingo - Something Isn't Right
Oingo Boingo - Violent LoveBelinda Carlisle, "Mad About You"